Emergency draw-bar.



D. J. PHALEN.

EMERGENGY DRAW BAR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.24,1913.

197594370 Patented 001.1111913.

@mum/vio@ im@ Zen/7 DLUMBjA PLANQGRAPM Co..WASMxNuTON. D. c.

DANIEL J. 'PI-IALEN, OF MASON CITY, IOWA.

EMERGENCY DRAW-BAR.

notarse.

Application filed February 24, 1913.

To all LU/0m t may concern Be it known that I, DANIEL J. PHALEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ma.- son City, in the county of Cerro Gordo and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Emergency Draw-Bars; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others` skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

'Ihis invention relates to railway draft appliances, and more especially to draw bars; and the object of the same is to produce an emergency draw bar which may be att-ached to a wrecked or badeorder car whereby the same may be transported to the repair shop with care, This object is carried out by constructing the draw bar in the manner hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and as shown in the drawings wherein- Figure 1 is a. plan view and Fig. 2 a side elevation of this draw bar complete. Figs. 3 and l are cross sections on the lines 3-3 and tif-d respectively of Fig. 1.

It is well known that in times of emergency as when wrecks have occurred on the road or an accident has happened to a car, the wrecking crew is often called upon to attach. a bad-order car to the wrecking train and transport it to the repair shop for repairs which cannot be made at the scene of the accident. because of the absence of necessary tools or because it is not desirable that the main line shall be blocked for any longer time than is necessary. One of the mostcommon accidents to railway cars is the pulling out of the draw bar and the disruption of the draft rigging, and the result is that it is diflicult to attach a bad-order car tothe' wrecking train, a locomotive, or another car by means of which it can be drawn.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide an emergency draw bar which may be readily and quickly attached at one end to the bad-order car at various points and connected at its other end with a good-order car or locomotive, and yet the draw bar within its length shall contain a draft spring so that the shocks of starting and stopping will be tempered to the bad-order car.

In the drawings the numeral 1 designates the shank of this improved device which is by preference formed of two stretches of a piece of strap metal, riveted together' as at 2, given a twist as at 3, again riveted together Specification of Letters Patent.

patented 9ct. 14,1913.

Serial No. 750,387.

beyond the twist as at 4, one end of this rivet serving as a pivot for a latch 5 which has a notch G in one edge, and the other stretch of the strap metal being continued in a projection 7 having a notch S in its opposite edge adapted to register with that numbered 6. The projection and the latch also have holes 9 adapted to aline with each other when these members overlie each other as seen in full lines in Fig. 1; and, if this end of the device is used as a coupling, this hole may engage the coupling pin while another pin or bolt is passed through a pair of registering holes 9 as will be clear. If this end of the device is used beneath the bad-order car, the hole made up of the registering notches or either of the other holes may be employed to receive the center pin or king bolt by means of which the device can be connected to said car.

To the right of the rivet 2 in Fig. 1 the stretches of the strap metal diverge Afrom each other as shown at 10, are then extended in parallel side bars 11 and 12, and the remote ends of said side bars are connected by a cross bar 13 which will be integral with the side bars if the entire shank is made of one piece of strap metal as I would prefer. Thereby is formed a frame within which is located a stout expansive coiled spring 14, one end resting against what might be called the rear plate 15 and the other against' what might be called the front plate 1G, bot-h plates having notches 11 and 12 in their side edges whereby they are slidably mounted within said frame. rIhe expansion of the spring 14 holds the rear plate 15 against the diverging portions 10, and the front plate 16 against the cross bar 13, much after the manner of the spring and follower plates within an ordinary draw bar; and therefore this emergency device possesses the ad- `vantages of cushioning to the disabled car the shock of starting and stopping the train.

Connected with the upper and lower ends of the rear plate 15 is a yoke which by preference I make of two pieces of strap metal 21 and 22, each reduced at its inner end and formed into a bolt 9.3 which is threaded and passes through a hole 24 in the rear plate 15 and receive a nut 25; and forward of said bolt the flat bodies of said members 21 and 22 are slidably mounted in notches 21 and 22 in the edges of the front plate quartering to those edges which carry the notches 11l and 1Q. Still farther forward, and in fact in front of the cross bar 13 of said frame, two stops 26 are secured within said straps 21 and 22 as by means of rivets 27 and the nuts 25 prevent the rear plate 15 from being pushed to the rear while the stops 26 prevent the front plate 16 from being pushed to the front by the eX- pansion of the spring 14. Still farther fOrward the straps which constitute the arms of said yoke are pierced with registering holes through which may be passed upright pins or bolts 28 and 29 as seen in Fig. 2 so that the device may be connected with any of the many types of couplers at the rear end of the wrecking train or locomotive.

The entire device is about five and onehalf feet in length, and not too heavy to be put in place by one 0r two workmen. lf it be impossible for them to find some pin or bolt remaining on the bad-order car, as a last resort they could bore a hole through its platform and pass a bolt through it and one of the holes 9. The other or coupling end of the device is attached to the locomotive or wrecking train, and a start is made for the destination. hen draft is applied the fork portion of the device moves forward and the rear plate 15 of the frame draws away from the arms 10 so that the spring 14 is compressed to a slight degree, and th-e shock of starting is cushioned to the disabled car. When it becomes necessary to slow down the speed or to stop, a reverse impulse is imparted to the plate 16, so that the latter compresses the spring 14 between it and the other plate 15, and the shock is cushioned to the disabled car. Thus it will be seen that this device possesses all the important and advantageous characteristics of an ordinary draw head and coupler, and in addition it can be quickly applied and as quickly removed, and it is not too cumbersome to be readily carried on the wrecking train.

I do not wish to be limited to the exact details of construction, nor to the materials and proportions of parts.

What is claimed as new is:

1. The herein described emergency draw bar comprising a shank member formed of a piece of strap metal bent into a substantially rectangular frame at one end of this member and having its two stretches converging from the frame into contact with each other and twisted, a rivet connecting said contacting stretches beyond said twist,

and a coupling device at the other end of this member; draft plates movably mount* ed within said frame, an expansive spring between them; and a yoke member' composed of two strap metal arms having their inner ends formed into bolts passing through the innermost draft plate and their outer ends pierced with alined holes, bolts removably passing through the latter for the purpose set forth, and stops secured to the inner faces of said yoke-arms and abutting normally against the outer face of the front draft plate.

2. rl`he herein described emergency draw bar comprising a shank member formed of a piece of strap metal bent into a substantially rectangular frame at one end of this member and having its two stretches converging from the frame into contact with each other and twisted, a rivet connecting said contacting stretches beyond said twist, and a coupling device at the other end of this member; draft plates movably mounted within said frame, an expansive spring between them; and a yoke member composed of two strap metal arms passing the outermost draft plate and having their inner ends slidably connected with the innermost, and means for connecting the outer end of this member with a car.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DANIEL J. PHALEN.

Vitnesses ALLAN F. BECK, GEO C. SrooKnAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C." 

